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For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the message was lost. For want of a message the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

NEW YORK (AP) — Emboldened by the #MeToo movement, McDonald's workers have voted to stage a one-day strike next week at restaurants in 10 cities in hopes of pressuring management to take stronger steps against on-the-job sexual harassment.

Is an entrepreneur born, or made? It’s been a heated debate for years, with strong proponents on both sides. I thought the truth lies somewhere in the middle, until last week.

I had lunch with a group of serial entrepreneurs. Most of them started businesses that have become household names, some were on their third or fourth great business, some had more failures than successes, and all were living their own dream.

Of the 30 elected positions on the Nov. 6 ballot in five suburban towns and cities in Shelby County, 11 were decided at the Thursday, Aug. 16, deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions.

Of the 30 elected positions on the Nov. 6 ballot in five of the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County, 11 were decided at the noon, Thursday, Aug. 16, deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions.

It’s true, all roads lead to and from Memphis. I have experienced it too many times not to believe it. Most recently, I experienced it this summer.

A few weeks ago, a group of 11 students, their principal, and three teachers from LaSalle College High School, a Christian Brothers school in Philadelphia came to Memphis on a mission trip to serve and to learn. They left changed by the experience, and the interconnectedness of all who seek to serve.

The positive habits we form during our lives are the foundation of self-control, will power and our life’s purpose. Having a vision of what you want to do is the easiest part. Having the perseverance and courage to bring that vision to life, and following it where it leads you, is the difficult part. Living your purpose is the reward.

It was billed as the party of the century. It was a party that was one hundred years in the making. It was a worthy celebration of past successes entwined with the vision for the future of Methodist Health Systems and its positive impact in Memphis, and beyond.

The most important ingredient we bring to any job, in any profession, is not talent. It is our integrity. Integrity is being truthful to yourself and having the courage to do the right thing in spite of the personal or professional consequences. A person’s integrity speaks loudly through the behavior they engage in at work.

At the Memorial Day holiday, the incumbent mayors of Bartlett, Germantown and Lakeland had pulled petitions to seek re-election in municipal elections on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald and Lakeland Mayor Wyatt Bunker pulled their qualifying petitions from the Shelby County Election Commission on May 18, the opening day of the filing period. Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo, who has already kicked off his re-election campaign, pulled his petition four days later.

Climbing mountains, metaphorically speaking, has become my preferred lifestyle. The exhilaration of the climb, whatever the challenge, I find inspirational. However, I have never considered actually scaling a mountain, even a large boulder, until last week when I visited Memphis Rox, a premier rock climbing facility that opened two months ago in Memphis.

The Shelby County Mayor’s Office and the Division of Community Services will host a community meeting to gather community feedback on the development of a youth assessment and resource center Monday, April 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Knowledge Quest (Universal Parenting Place), 990 College Park Drive, suite 104. Visit shelbycountytn.gov/calendar.aspx for details.

“Toward Justice: A City-Wide Upstanders’ Project” kicks off with a keynote by longtime civil rights leader Bob Zellner on Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. at the Memphis Jewish Community Center, 6560 Poplar Ave. The monthlong “Toward Justice” project is presented by nearly a dozen local organizations and features exhibits, installations and more. All events are free and will be held at MJCC. Visit jccmemphis.org for a schedule.

There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Memphis founded to address a multitude of needs that plague our city, such as under-education, poverty, homelessness, crime, and societal ills and issues of all kinds. They range from grass roots organizations with a handful of volunteers who multitask to raise the needed funds, to large single-source private foundations with multimillion-dollar distributions.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,” Steve Jobs once said, “and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Why didn’t “someone” say something? That seems to be the standard response when the job performance does not meet expectations. Whether it is a new employee or one who has been underperforming for years, somewhere between “you’re hired” and “you’re fired,” “someone” should have had that difficult conversation. What if that “someone” is you?

Anthony Maranise walked into my office to take over my job that day. He was 8 years old and had been battling cancer for the past three years of his young life. He carried an attaché case almost half his size and had a smile as wide as his face.

The entrepreneurial dream was to have my own business. I always had jobs, but I wanted the freedom to do them in a different way. I wanted to exercise the creativity to do them my own way.

It didn’t matter what the job was, I liked mentally dissecting the way it was being done and putting it back together in a way that would make it seem more doable, more efficient, more logical and more enjoyable.

It has been said that the difference between try and triumph is that little “umph.” If there was ever anyone that shows just what a difference that makes, it is Jay Martin, president of Juice Plus. He puts that “umph” in everything he does.

Author William Purkey wrote that, “Human potential, though not always apparent, is there waiting to be discovered and invited forth.”

When it comes to the hiring process, the wisdom of those words frames my interviews with potential employees. I know what they have done. I read the resumes. I did some background checking. I talked to former employers. I read the letters of recommendation. I learned of their experiences, their expertise, their past. So, my interviews always focus on what they could do next, what is their potential.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is the opening line of Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” The story, set during the French Revolution, centers on the possibility of resurrection and transformation both on personal and societal levels. Rooted in that transformation is the sacrifice and suffering that accompanies it.

The third TEDxMemphis conference, themed “The Slant” is Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Halloran Centre, 225 S. Main St. The one-day event will include 24 speakers – 12 at each of two programs (8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Single-session tickets are $30; all-day tickets are $50. Visit tedxmemphis.com.

Trey Moore has been named executive director of Explore Bike Share, the Memphis nonprofit that is preparing to launch a local bike-share system with 600 bicycles and 60 stations. Moore, who is returning to Memphis from Atlanta, Georgia, will lead Explore Bike Share’s staff in operations, fund development and community engagement activities in partnership with the organization’s board of directors.As executive director, he also is committed to bicycling as a sustainable transportation option with access to as many Memphians as possible, and will help promote a bike-friendly culture in Memphis while encouraging exercise and healthy lifestyles.

They made music that inspired legions of fans. Rock 'n' roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Gregg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

The new year often brings thoughts of change, of starting something new, something different. Perhaps you have grown a little jaded about what you do now and feel that tug to reinvent yourself.

Maybe you’ve lost some of that enthusiasm, that passion, and long to recapture that magic that once made you bound out of bed in the morning excited about what the day would hold. Maybe what you really need is a ride on the Polar Express.

The Society of Entrepreneurs in Memphis held a book signing and panel discussion at Novel bookstore last week for the society’s book, “There’s Something in the Water.” The book commemorates the 25th anniversary of the society and profiles the entrepreneurial accomplishments of each member.

Gratitude is our tradition. Giving thanks and recognition for the good in our lives, for the freedoms in our country and to all those among us who, by their words and actions, lift us all is part of our national culture, our country’s tradition. It was even declared a national holiday in 1941.

Author Mary Anne Radmacher is quoted as saying, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is that little voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’” That kind of courage is not always visible, but it is every bit as noble. That kind of courage honors your commitment to yourself to keep evolving into that best version.

Beale Street Caravan and Fourth Bluff kick off their Album Sessions lunchtime listening parties with Don Bryant and the Bo-Keys’ “Don’t Give Up on Love” Friday, Nov. 3, on the promenade behind the Cossitt Library. All listening sessions will start at 12:15 p.m. and are free and open to all ages. Silent disco headphones will be provided; headphones reservations are recommended. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunches. Visit thefourthbluff.com for a fall programming lineup.

Beale Street Caravan and Fourth Bluff kick off their Album Sessions lunchtime listening parties with Don Bryant and the Bo-Keys’ “Don’t Give Up on Love” Friday, Nov. 3, on the promenade behind the Cossitt Library. All listening sessions will start at 12:15 p.m. and are free and open to all ages. Silent disco headphones will be provided; headphones reservations are recommended. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunches. Visit thefourthbluff.com for a fall programming lineup.

Legendary aviator Amelia Earhart once acknowledged, “Mostly, my flying has been solo, but the preparation for it wasn’t.” She was speaking about her husband, and their mutual help and encouragement, their consistent working together toward shared goals. In a real sense, he was the wind beneath her wings. Like Amelia Earhart, when you are the leader, the innovator, the entrepreneur, you often fly solo, but you didn’t get to that place alone.

You applied for the position, anxious to seize the opportunity to finally become an administrator, a boss, a leader in the workplace. You went through the rigorous interview process, prepared yourself with the education and experience necessary, and you got the job! Now, you can’t seem to wipe the smile off your face as you picture yourself living that next step in your career. After all, you’ve worked for bosses; you know what to do. How hard can it be?

Shall I stay or shall I go? It’s a simple question with complex answers, especially when you are contemplating a career change. However, the fact that you’re asking it is a good indication of restlessness. That feeling can be a good thing when it gives you the nudge you need to point your career in a better direction. But when the feeling of ambivalence that one has when trying to make a major decision takes root in that process, confusion takes over.

What is an hour of your time worth? It’s not difficult to calculate the monetary equivalent of 60 minutes of doing your job. To use your skills, talent, training and wisdom has a price that brings value to your work. And what would that hour with you be worth if you gave it away? For someone in need, that hour with you could be priceless.

The French philosopher and Jesuit priest Teilhard de Chardin once said, “The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.” While I agree it’s a responsibility we all share to provide the inspiration and reasons to hope to those in succeeding generations, after decades educating generations of young people, I am ever mindful that often it is they who inspire and give us hope. My hope for the future comes from them. They are laying the foundation now.

Billions of dollars are spent on marketing every year by businesses and institutions trying to convince potential customers that they are the preferred choice. However, after decades as an observant consumer, I have concluded that most businesses would have much more success if they invested a portion of that marketing budget and a little time into professional development for their employees.

My father, Joe Crowley, a very wise man, always had a response whenever anyone said they heard a rumor, and wanted to pass it on. He always stopped them short by saying, “Those who don’t know, talk. Those who know, don’t talk.”

We all have them. We often go there looking for safety, acceptance, understanding or just a sense of the familiar. Our comfort zones are natural, but living there can keep you from fulfilling your purpose in life. A comfort zone, if you burrow in too deep, can become a rut you get stuck in.

They sat in my office, their eyes glazed over with confusion and concern, talking about their teenage child. During my career as an educator, I had hundreds of conversations with parents with this familiar ring: “He seems so distant, resentful of our rules, things we always did together as a family. There is always drama, and we’re not even sure why we’re so upset. She says these are supposed to be the best years of her life and we’re ruining them.”

A passage from Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” states, in paraphrase: A child goes forth each day, and the first object that the child sees, that object he/she becomes, for a day, or part of a day, or for days stretching into years.

It was a recognition that is fading out of existence. At a professional meeting where I spoke recently, I wanted to recognize those in the group who had dedicated service and longevity with a gift certificate. To my surprise, there were four with more than 50 years of continuous service, and several more not far behind. It was inspirational to see that kind of commitment and growth, both personally and professionally.

“There’s something in the water.” I often heard that expression when someone referenced a widespread occurrence, the cause of which was puzzling or unexplainable. But if it’s Memphis water, I know what is in it: the soul of an entrepreneur.

Remember that question from your parents when you returned home from school: “What did you learn in school today?” And your parents, ever hopeful, dreaded your answer: “Nothing.” Actually, you did learn something, even if you didn’t want to engage in conversation about it.

I have heard it said many times that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. The wisdom in understanding this is being open to learning, and prepared to teach what you learn, when either opportunity presents itself.

There is an African saying: “When elephants fight, only the grass gets trampled.” Since my only encounters with elephants are limited to an occasional trip to the zoo, I didn’t understand the significance of that saying until I saw elephants fighting on an Animal Planet show.

Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person, whomever we are, whatever we do. There is an inherent need to contribute to our community and to see the work that we do as making a difference.

St. Veronica Catholic School in North Philadelphia was founded in 1872 and members of the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, were assigned as principals and teachers throughout the years. The IHM sisters are still present and still offer a faith-based quality education.

According to Charles Darwin, it’s not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change. In my experience, that’s a true assessment not only for human beings, but also for businesses, regardless of the focus of the business.

Death claimed transcendent political figures in 2016, including Cuba's revolutionary leader and Thailand's longtime king, but also took away royals of a different sort: kings of pop music, from Prince and David Bowie to George Michael.

New year’s resolutions are tempting to make, and they are even more tempting to forget. In spite of the insatiable appetite our society has for self-improvement and excellence, good habits just seem hard to acquire.

Birth is a beginning. Death is an ending. Everything in between is merely a transition. The secret to fulfillment, to leading a purpose-driven life, to happiness, is how you learn to manage and maximize those transitions.

Steven Covey wrote that “most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” It is not always an easy thing to do, but is a valuable skill to learn when your goal is success, in whatever your endeavour.

A Gallup research study of employee engagement released in 2012 found that only 30 percent of employees in the workplace in the United States are actively engaged in the work they do. Which means that 70 percent of the employees are either not engaged (52 percent) or actively disengaged (18 percent).

Early in their careers Dr. Mary McDonald and Dr. Susan Murrmann ended up in the same Memphis OB/GYN group. A private management company offered to buy the group, Murrmann recalls, and every physician was in line to get about a half-million dollars right up front.

Congratulations, you are an entrepreneur! You have a great idea and are ready to launch your new business. You’re not alone. This year, according to the Small Business Administration, you are among the other 399,999 folks with a great idea poised to open their doors for business. But don’t worry, there is room for success.

The drive to the meeting was inspirational. The weather was perfect, the lights were green, and someone even let me in the line of traffic right before it merged to the left. I had a newness of thought as I weighed possible solutions to the problem to be discussed at the meeting. I wondered what insights others would offer to the situation.

Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain and Jenny Giltner all have something in common … dyslexia, and success. No doubt you heard of the first four, so let me tell you about Jenny Giltner.

I heard a story recently about a woman whose husband was dead for three days before she called for help. When the paramedics arrived they asked her why she waited so long to call. “I didn’t realize he was dead,” she said. “I thought he was just giving me the silent treatment.”

My father had a knack for summing up a philosophy in just one sentence. While I did not always appreciate the wisdom hidden in his advice, I have come to understand, and value, his favorite advice to me: “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it will only frustrate you and annoy the pig.”

When I was growing up, my family would spend the summers at the beach. Learning to swim in the Atlantic Ocean also meant learning to respect the unpredictability of the undertow. I learned that respect after I was pulled from its grasp by the last person on a human chain of 27 rescuers, as I was being sucked under the water for what I thought would be the last time.

The heavyweight champion Joe Louis said, “Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die to get there.” It’s true. Everyone wants to succeed, to be really good at something, to reach a goal. However, not everyone is willing to pay the price in the present to set a standard for the future.

Not long ago, while waiting in line at the grocery store, I overheard a very weary-looking young father with a baby in his arms and two toddlers sitting in the shopping cart say to the clerk, “My wife is sick, the kids are sick, the baby was up all night, and work is piling up on my desk. I feel like I’m 60.”

There is a passage from Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” that reads, “A child goes forth each day, and the first object that the child sees, that object he becomes, for a day, or part of a day, or for days stretching into years.” For me, that “object” was my parents. What I saw in them, I have become. The older I get, the more it surprises me how of much of me is them.

When I was in third grade, there was a saying posted in the front of the classroom that read “Practice Makes Perfect.” I read it so many times that eventually it became a way of approaching every task, a way of thinking.

Graduation season comes with hundreds of commencement addresses meant to encourage and inspire. If you didn’t hear one this year, allow me to share an address I gave.

“Did you ever hear something that so captivated your thoughts that it eventually defined the process of your decision-making? I did. It was a quote attributed to Rev. Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran minister, about his experiences in Germany during World War II.

Wise decision-making is a core function of leadership. Your job as a leader is to keep the main thing, the main thing. How do you achieve that goal knowing that there are times when everything seems like a good idea, everything seems important, achievable, a good decision.

Steven Spielberg said, "The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves." And that describes the underlying philosophy of SCORE.

It all starts with trust. But whom do you trust? That’s what Samuel Dobbs, an executive with The Coca-Cola Co. in the early 1900s wanted to know as he sat in a courtroom listening to an attorney defend a claim of false advertising.

There is a place where the struggles of Memphis in overcoming crime, blight, poverty, hunger and a myriad of societal ills meets those who are driven by a purpose in life that goes beyond oneself, a need to do the right thing, and who use their talents, skills and wisdom to change Memphis for the better.

President Lincoln once said, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” What amazing insight from someone living in an era we would consider as slow-paced compared to the frenetic pace of change in society today.

If you know what you’re searching for, then look where you’re most likely to find it. That sounds too simple to be good advice, but it is.

When something is that simple, instead of just doing it, sometimes we want to complicate it, make it more difficult, or just plain mess it up by looking everywhere. I see it all the time when it comes to executive searches, especially those “national” ones.

It is said that the future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope. This saying rings true in the life of Rev. Donald Mowery, and is lived out through his decades of commitment to youth in Memphis and across the country.

There is a growing concern about the increase of youth violence in the United States, and an equally growing commitment to advance the work of violence prevention and early intervention to prevent youth violence before it occurs. Memphis is no exception, on either issue.

Every now and then events occur that seem small, routine, just part of the job until they collide with such force that they explode with meaning, renewing your work with a sense of purpose and change a job into a mission.

A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them.

They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out in order to avoid the danger, since its survival instincts detect sudden changes. However, when you put a frog into a pot of cool water there is no immediate threat, so he stays put.

It was Saturday, July 29, 1995, a typical summer day for the Russell family. Bobby Russell Jr., 41, a Memphis firefighter, was working in the yard with his two sons when he was struck and killed on his front lawn by an impaired driver. Nothing was ever typical again for the Russell family.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French Jesuit and philosopher, said: “The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope.” It is a brilliant way of capturing the solution, but how do you give hope to a generation of young people who seem mired in a downward spiral of multi-generational hopelessness? What do you hope for when your world is your ZIP code and your ZIP code is a world of violence, crime, hunger, homelessness, gangs, crack houses and unbridled anger? Who gives hope for the future when the present is so dire?

Milestones are an important part of life that remind us of something that matters.

It’s a needed pause that says, “Look how far we’ve come, and we’re not finished yet.” That’s exactly what Memphis Catholic High School’s Education That Works program is doing this year as it marks its 10th year of operation.

“If you always do what you always did, then you always get what you always got.”

It is one of those truisms that seems to fit perfectly into the ongoing debate on the effectiveness of education in the United States. There is a multitude of critics who want schools to do what they did 50 years ago and get better results. The problem with that is that everything has changed.

There is a reason they are called ‘famous last words.’ They are the desperate epitaphs of what is, and what is about to change.

In business, those ‘famous last words’ are usually uttered right before the business becomes dysfunctional, expires, or, in a best case scenario, has the wisdom to hear those utterances and take them as a warning to take another look.

The greatness of a city does not lie in the size of its budget; rather, it is revealed by the size of the hearts of those who work to make it great for all citizens.

Entrepreneurship has long been a hallmark of that Memphis “can do” spirit. Every city on the move needs that to stimulate the economy, grow the marketplace and get to the next level. But there is more. Those with a heart for improving the quality of life for all citizens, a passion to make things better, to lift up others are the social entrepreneurs whose purpose in life contributes so much to making Memphis a great city.

Memphis, an Egyptian word meaning a place of good abode; Memphis, a city in Tennessee that lives out the meaning of its name.

What makes Memphis such a good place to live, or to stay for a while, is the multitude of Good Samaritans who are neighbors to those in need. It doesn’t matter if those experiencing a crisis live here, or are just staying during a critical time in their lives: There are a multitude of Memphians who will provide that place of good abode for as long as it’s needed.

A neighbor started giving swim lessons several days a week during the summer. Obviously, she is good at what she does. Her lessons bring daily traffic to a quiet side street that usually experiences mild traffic only twice a day – in the morning and evening.

To tweet, or not to tweet, that is the question. Or is it to blog, text or Skype? When it comes to communication and social media, these are some of the questions that come to mind as you determine the best method of communication to get the message out about your business, product, service or institution.

He does not claim to be courageous, yet lives by the strength within, confronting fear, uncertainty and intimidation. He does not see himself as humble, yet deflects every question about him with a story about the inspirational deeds of others. He does not admit to being a visionary, yet continues to see things as they should be and works to make them a reality. He is a man for all seasons, and a Christian Brother for life.

When I was a little girl, my grandfather taught me how to draw horns, beards and mustaches on people whose pictures were in the newspaper. He told me it was always better to do this before anyone read the paper; it made it more interesting.

It is certain, absolutely everyone is doing it. Everyone is aging. The uniqueness of the individual process has created the new tipping point for the separation of the way it was, and the way it will be.

It is rewarding when people who seemingly have nothing in common, of being worlds apart, find common ground. And it is nothing short of inspirational when what they build on that common ground makes life better for all of us.

Education bends family trees in the direction of progress. It is a liberating experience that paves the way for the quality of life that proves beneficial to the individual, the family and the community.

Whether intentional or the result of a collection of individual decisions, a skyline defines the unique characteristics of a city and the people who live there.

It is made up of landmarks that tell an ever changing story of a city, and its vision for the future. Memphis is easily identified by its Pyramid and lighted bridge, but it is the big, red heart in the sky, hovering above Memphis, that speaks to me about the Memphis I know. That landmark heart captures the essence of what we are really all about. Regardless of politics or problems, it says, “Memphis cares.”